How many hugs does your child need daily? What you do not know about the importance of hugs

Laila Ali

In orphanages in Eastern Europe, infants are seldom dealt or touched, they spend 22 to 23 hours a day in their beds, drip bottles are used to feed them, and they are routinely cared for with minimal human interaction. These children often face many problems, including poor cognitive development and late development of motor skills.

In a 2012 study, researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States revealed that if they receive 20 minutes of stimulation by touching daily for 10 weeks, they get higher levels in growth assessments.

They also found that not all types of touch are beneficial, but only a touch of tenderness and care such as gentle hugs that can provide the kind of positive stimulation that the brain needs to grow healthy.

How many hugs does a child need?
The child needs as many hugs as possible every day, according to author and psychiatrist Virginia Satire, "We need four hugs a day to survive, eight per day to fix what has been corrupted, and 12 hugs a day to grow."

The writer Justina Goh on Mind Champ says that children grow up every day, so you should embrace them at least 12 times a day. There are many ways in which these beautiful moments can be added to your daily routine.

Hugs are all you need to stimulate your child's growth through biochemical and physiological reactions in the body to promote health, calm the nervous system and stimulate positive feelings.

Holly Homer, author of Kids Activity, says she has a daily goal of hugging each of her three children 17 times. There is no reason for this figure, but it has become part of the family's tradition. It is the first thing in the morning and the last thing before bed, so that the children feel unfair if they receive only 16 hugs instead of 17.

She says that when boys were young, it was very easy to reach this goal, but as they grew older, it became more difficult. Sometimes they resist hugs but they know that I'm going to chase them inside the house, and that makes us laugh hysterically until we're done. "Even a lukewarm hug is better than no hug," Homer says.

According to the Burning For Prien website, a 20-second hug can help your baby grow smarter, healthier, happier, more flexible and closer to parents. A young child needs a lot of different sensory stimulation for normal growth, and physical contact - like hugs - is one of the most important stimuli needed for healthy brain development and a strong body.

Physical development
Doctors also found that when some children are deprived of physical contact, their bodies stop growing despite eating nutrients naturally. This condition is called "failure to grow", and it is a type of growth deficiency that can be treated by giving children a touch of touch and a lot of hugs.

According to Emily Maud, a psychologist on News Room, one of the reasons why embracing is linked to physical growth is that it causes the release of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, which contains many important effects on our bodies, one of which is stimulating growth.

The increased level of oxytocin strengthens the immune system and lowers plasma levels of thyroid hormones, causing wounds to heal faster.

Cuddling is also beneficial to a child's emotional health, as nothing can calm a child who starts a tantrum faster than a big hug from parents.

And Emily Maud explains that when a young child - who cannot control his emotions - is allowed to shout angrily without interfering for a long period of time, in this case he has a stress hormone that affects his physical and mental health.

Studies also show that excessive exposure to the stress hormone can harm the child's immune system, as excessive stress affects memory and verbal thinking capabilities later in life, and can also lead to depression in old age.

As for hugs, it releases the hormone oxytocin to reduce the level of stress hormone and prevent harmful effects.

According to Mood, the embrace policy at home may change as children age, but regardless of that, they must be told that you are there for them, unconditionally, and this is essential for growth.